Liquid container and valve therefor



DeC- 7, 1965 w. B. SHURTLEFF ETAL 3,221,935

LIQUID CONTAINER AND VALVE THEREFOR Filed Jan. 18, 1965 WOOD B. SHUR TLEFF PH/L /P N. RWSON INVENTORS ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,221,935LIQUID CONTAINER AND VALVE THEREFOR Wood B. Shurtlef't', 8113 Rush St.,and Philip N. Rawson, 702 Continental Life Bldg., both of Fort Worth,Tex.

Filed Jan. 18, 1965, Ser. No. 426,216 6 Claims. (Cl. 222-52) Thisinvention relates to containers and a dispensing valve therefor. Thisapplication is an improvement over our prior application, Ser. No.395,776, filed Sept. 1l, 1964. Both applications have reference tocontainers for storing and dispensing liquids containing gas, and theinventions of both applications are directed to inexpensive disposableconstructions. While the constructions of the prior application arecapable of serving their intended purposes, it has been found that beerstored in the container, after the container is first opened, should berecharged with carbon dioxide gas automatically and maintained at aconstant pressure within the container.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide aninexpensive dispensing valve for the described purpose, and one capableof accommodating a mechanism for automatically recharging the gas of thecontainer and maintaining a desired constant pressure.

Another object of the invention, in addition to the foregoing object, isto provide a simplified valve body which may be made by injectionmolding in one piece.

A further object is to provide a simplified sliding valve constructionfor the described purpose and including a simple one piece lock capableof separate uses, namely, securing the valve body outwardly of thecontainer when applying the recharge and operating lever mechanism, and,in a different position, securing the referred to mechanism in anupright operating position.

These and other objects will become apparent from the followingdescription and accompanying drawing, where- 1n:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a valve inaccordance with the present invention and shown in its retractedposition relative to the wall of a container, the latter being shown infragmentary section.

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE l, but showing the valve in itsextended position.

FIGURE 3 is similar to FIGURE 2, but showing the pressure regulator andlever operating mechanism applied to the extended valve body.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the container, extendedvalve body, pressure regulator and lever operating mechanism, and thesingle piece lock as positioned when applying the pressure regulator andlever operating mechanism to the valve body.

FIGURE 5 is an inverted exploded perspective view of the valve body andpush bar for operating the valve element.

FIGURE 6 is an exploded perspective view of the valve body and valveelement, and

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational and sectional viewshowing the linkage between the operating lever and the push bar.

In the drawing, the numeral 10 generally designates a container ofsuitable size and shape and includes a vertical end wall 11. A sleeve 12extends through and projects from both sides of the wall 11, and theouter extending end of the sleeve has a circular lip 13 on which thereis a crown cap 14 or other readily removable disposable closure.Preferably, the sleeve 12 and container 10 are made of synthetic resin,for example, polypropylene.

The valve body 15 is slidably received in the sleeve 12, and which bodyis shouldered near its inner end, at 16, for engagement with an inwardlydirected flange 17 ice around the outer end of the sleeve. Thus, theforward length 18 of the body 15 is of reduced diameter so as to extendoutwardly of the sleeve 12, whereas the remaining length 19 is ofsubstantially the same as the inside sleeve diameter. To assure sealingcontact between the last named parts, a groove 20 may be provided aroundthe body length 19 for receiving an O ring washer 21.

Parallel with the longitudinal axis of the body 15 there are upper andlower ports 22 and 23 extending therethrough. As will become apparent,the upper port 22 has to do with recharging the container 10 with gas,and the lower port 23 has to do with dispensing the liquid contents ofthe container. The inner end of the upper port 22 may be of reduceddiameter, not numbered. It is to be noted that the described arrangementof ports 22 and 23 lends to simplified coring if the body 15 is moldedby the injection method.

The inner end surface of the body 15 serves as a valve seat for acircular flexible valve element 24 which is secured to said end surfacebetween the ports 22 and 23. As best shown in FIGURE 6, the end of thevalve body 15 may be notched, at 25, to receive projections 26 on theinner face of the element 24 for locating a length of adhesive 27 whenapplying the element to the body end.

The forward end of the lbody 15 has a rectangular recess 28 in alignmentwith the lower or liquid dispensing port 23 for slidably receiving acorrespondingly shaped button 29 on the end of a push bar 30 received inthe length of said port. The recess 28 also serves as a lateraldischarge opening. The bar 30 is relatively thin but is of a widthnearly equal to the diameter of the discharge port 23. The inner end ofthe bar 30 is beveled in a direction so as to lift the outer portion ofthe element 24 first when the bar 30 is pressed thereagainst.

schematically shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, and generally indicated by thenumeral 31, there is a conventional gas injection unit including a gaspressure regulator. Such units are well known to the art, and the onlymodification required may be the size and/or the shape of the housing.Not necessarily conventional in such unit is a tubular projection 32slidably received in the outer end of the gas injection port 22. A ringwasher 33 may be provided around the projection 32. The unit 31 isremovable but is in an upright position on the extended end of the valvebody 15 when in operation. When pushing the projection 32 into the valvegas injection port 22, a forked locking piece 34 is secured in paralleltransverse slots 35 on opposite sides of the body 15 to prevent inwardmovement of the latter. The same locking piece 34 is received in avertical sleeve 36 on the back of the unit 31 and received in the sameslots 35 on the body 15 to hold the said unit in a vertical position.

Liquid is dispensed from the container by means of a generally verticallever 37 pivotally mounted on the lower front of the unit 31. As bestshown in FIGURES 3 and 4, the lever 37 is mounted on a pin 38 betweenears 39 on the unit, and the lower end of the lever has a spring link 40for connection with the button 29 on the end of the push rod 30. Theinwardly extending end of the link 40 has a hook 41 for engagement in anotch 42 in the bottom of the button 29. The lever 37 may be springloaded, not shown, at the pin 38 for normally maintaining the push rod30 in its outward or off position. The flow of liquid is around theraised portion of the element 24, along the sides of the push rod 30,thence outwardly through the recess 28. The housing of the unit 31includes a depending baille portion 43 to direct the dispensed liquiddownwardly.

It is to be understood that the recharge-regulator unit 31 is to bereused, and that the container 10 and valve assembly in the sleeve 12are to be thrown away after the liquid contents of the container havebeen used. The disposable parts would be difficult to clean andsterilize. When the container 10 and its liquid contents are in storageor transit, the disposable closure 14 is in place and gas pressureforces the valve body 15 thereagainst. When the closure is removedthegas pressure moves the body 15 outwardly as shown in FIGURE 3.

By reason of the described construction and arrangement, a constantpressure is maintained in the container. Operation of the lever, whichdispenses the liquid, reduces the container pressure. However, as soonas the pressure is reduced, the unit 31 automatically replenishes thesame. The action of the valve element 24 over the inner end of the gasinjection port 22 prevents loss of liquid prior to installing therecharge-regulating unit 31.

The invention is not limited to the exemplary construction herein shownand described, but may be made in various ways within the scope of theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A container for liquids having gas pressure therein, a sleeve in awall of said container providing an opening therein, avalve bodyslidably mounted in said sleeve, means limiting the movement of saidbody partially/ outwardly of said sleeve, a gas injection port extendingthrough said body, valve means preventing outward flow through said gasinjection port, a liquid dispensing port extending through said body,and manually operated valve means selectively controlling flow throughsaid liquid dispensing port.

2. The construction defined in claim 1, and wherein said manuallyoperated valve means is comprised of a check valve positioned inwardlyof the outer end of said liquid dispensing port, and a push bar slidablymounted in said liquid dispensing port outwardly of said check valve.

3. The construction deined in claim 2, and including a lateral recess insaid body in communication with and in alignment with said liquiddispensing port, a button on the outer end of said push bar, atransverse baffle at the outer end of said recess, a lever supported bysaid valve body when the same is in its extended position, and meanslinking said lever with said button.

4. The construction defined in claim 1, and including transverseparallel slots in the outer surface of said body just outwardly of saidsleeve when said body is in its extended position, and a forked lockingpiece slidably engageable in said slots.

5. In combination with the construction defined in claim 1, a gasinjection pressure regulator unit mounted on said body when the same isin its extended position, the discharge of said unit being connectedwith said gas injection port in said body.

6. The construction defined in claim 5, and including detachable meanssecuring said gas injection pressure regulator unit in an uprightposition.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,157,966 5/l939Reisinger et al. 222-538 X 2,980,300 4/1961 Waddington et al. 222-538 X3,039,656 6/1962 Wentz 222-538 X LOUIS J. DEMBO, Primary Examiner.

1. A CONTAINER FOR LIQUIDS HAVING GAS PRESSURE THEREIN, A SLEEVE IN AWALL OF SAID CONTAINER PROVIDING AN OPENING THEREIN, A VALVE BODYSLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID SLEEVE, MEANS LIMITING THE MOVEMENT OF SAIDBODY PARTIALLY OUTWARDLY OF SAID SLEEVE, A GAS INJECTION PORT EXTENDINGTHROUGH SAID BODY, VALVE MEANS PREVENTING OUTWARD FLOW THROUGH SAID GASINJECTION PORT, A LIQUID DISPENSING PORT EXTENDING THROUGH SAID BODY,AND MANUALLY OPERATED VALVE MEANS SELECTIVELY CONTROLLING FLOW THROUGHSAID LIQUID DISPENSING PORT.